Love Is Blind
by upplet
Summary: How strong must ones love be for another, or for their sake of duty, to be willing to sacrifice anything for the greater good? In the midst of acting out his duty as an officer, Nick Wilde is blinded. His eyes, vision, sense of sight...gone. He made the sacrifice, but there is always a price with sacrifices. It was the price to be paid, and he paid it willingly. *OLD*
1. The Swipe That Changed Everything

**Author's Note**

 **Hello! I just wanted to quickly let you know that this story is incredibly old, and easily my worst work of all. I am severely disappointed in the quality of the writing, the lack of proper punctuation, and how violent I portrayed the scene with Nick losing his eyesight. I have wanted to delete this story for a long time, however, since it has a decent following, I shall leave it intact out of courtesy for those that have found enjoyment from it. If you are a new reader and wish to read something of far greater quality, then I highly recommend checking out pretty much any of my other stories, here.**

 **I appreciate your patience and consideration. Thank you.**

* * *

"If love is blind, then maybe a blind person that loves has a greater understanding of it." - Criss Jami

...

How strong must ones love be for another for them to be willing to sacrifice anything... _anything..._ for the sake of such desire?

In Nick's case... It was his vision. His eyes. The most descriptive sense of them all. His sight,

The only sense that allowed him to see the wonders of life...

Was gone.

...

Law.

The embodiment of societies impossible ideals.

The citizens are malleable... but those that defend them, are stone: Shaped only by the harsh weather of expectation. And none have a greater burden of expectation then the Police. For they are courage, they are honor, and they are justice... personified.

Courage, is not the absence of fear... but the will to face the frightening.

Honor, is not a stubborn oath... but the integrity to uphold what is right, even if it is not easy.

Justice, is not an adherence to the law... but a code of fairness and morality.

But sometimes, the brave souls that abide by this code must make sacrifices. They must forgo their will, their desire to live, and endure pain. Suffering. They must be willing to lay down their life for the greater good, if such a thing even exists. There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.

But when the person you love cannot see your affection, some might ask... what is the point?

The point... Is _Sacrifice._ It is shedding yourself of any doubts or hesitations, and willingly giving in to fate. But with sacrifice, there is _always a price._

Nicholas Wilde was blind.

It was the price to be paid... And he paid it willingly.

...

The Cruiser glided down the street with ease in the afternoon clear. Traffic was at a minimal, and rush-hour was still ages away, so the vehicle that carried the two tiny officers was met with little resistance on their mid-day patrol. A Fox manned the wheel whilst his mate, Judy- A Self Righteous Bunny, reclined in the passenger seat. They were on a simple schedule that day: Afternoon patrol of the business section in Zootopia's inner district, then report back to the ZPD at 3:00 for a briefing before being excused for the rest of the day. Both animals were appreciative of the easy work-day, as they were often used to being sent off on some new case every other week. They considered themselves lucky that they've stayed in one piece throughout their career so far, as they had made frequent conflict with large, viscous animals, both predator and prey alike on their endeavors. They enjoyed the simplicity of that afternoon.

But the seething underbelly of the city consistently showed its darker side. They've been on patrols where they had expected a quick and easy time keeping watch, but instead have ended up breaking up fights, pursuing suspicious citizens, and arresting violent animals. Even something as innocent as a patrol could turn sour in the blink of an eye. That's why both Fox and Bunny kept their guard up as they scanned the area. You never knew when something might happen. It could be anything from petty-theft to armed robbery. Even something as minor as littering could require their attention if not dealt with; as the city government was surprisingly strict about cleanliness and sanitation.

Point being: Both officers were ready for anything...

But that didn't stop them from engaging in idle conversation to pass the time. They discussed both trivial and pivotal topics, ranging from small-talk to their political standpoints. Enjoyment was had in these simple moments, for it was them that you often learned the most about someone. They had parked themselves in front of the entrance to the largest Plaza in the main district, and after some time decided to engage in communication as they counted down the hours.

"So then I told him, you got the wrong guy!" The Fox cried as he exclaimed one of his past run-ins with the law to his mate, Judy, who sat adjacent to him whilst listening with intent. "Those are _clearly_ wolf paw prints, not Fox!" He pointed with open hands at the steering wheel for effect, as he was so completely enraptured in the story that he was practically acting it out.

"So then this fuzz-face lets me go, but only _after_ I compare my paws," He points to one of his open hands, "With the ones in the snow! _Gosh_... some guys just can't take a joke can they, huh Carrots?" He asked as he locked eyes with the Bunny, who beamed at him with a large smile.

"Not all officers are _that_ stubbornNick... Besides, they're just doing they're job!"

Nick donned his favorite facial expression: Smug smile, half-lidded eyes, and easy grin. "I shouda' known you'd say something like that, Whiskers." He claimed as he turned his head and set his eyes on the scene in front of him: The plaza stretched out in front of their Cruiser, the sides of the street bearing many different shopping centers and civil-services. The communal area was buzzing with activity, shoppers shifting through stores, citizens relaxing on benches dotted across the landscape, friends gathered in groups and socialized with one another. There was a lot to take in, but as an officer, you had to train your eyes to sift through the commotion and to be able to select any suspicious or unlawful activity. Both Nick and Judy knew this. But on this lovely day, it seemed that nothing could go wrong. There wasn't a single suggestive act in sight. Everyone was minding their own business and actions, going about their day with ease. But as he stared out the window of their car, Nick couldn't help but feel as if something was... off.

 _No way can there be that many people and not a single one of them be out of line,_ He cynically thought to himself.

As a former Con-Artist, Nick knew the criminal side of Zootopia quite well. He may have been a cop, but he was distrustful of society and its conniving ways. There was _always_ someone up to no good. Somewhere. Out there. In the thick of it all.

But as far as his youthful eyes could see, he saw no signs of danger: Just law-abiding citizens enjoying their day.

Nothing at all...

 _Relax Wilde,_ He mentally told himself. _You're gonna drive yourself crazy thinking like that..._

Thankfully, his mate was there to derail his monorail of thought before it could get itself in a train-wreck. "Hey Nick," He heard her say.

The Fox turned his head back towards his lovely mate, who sat with her hands across the dashboard of the car as she fiddled with her thumbs. Nick took note of the expressive way her sensuous body was hunched over. He noticed the way her ears drooped to her side disappointingly. She was agitated. Stressed. Worried.

"Do you have the feeling that..." She stopped herself when she shook her head lightly from side to side before continuing. "Do you have the feeling that something's wrong?"

 _Uh oh..._

The Fox had written off his aforementioned thoughts as simply his sardonic side speaking. But when Judy had the same sinking feeling, he knew that something wasn't right.

Not answering right away, he quickly scanned the scene in front of him: He saw a family of Giraffe's walking close together down the sidewalk, a lone hippo reading a newspaper on a bench, a group of juvenile lionesses exiting a store- Targoat- hands overfilled with bags of varying sizes, overflowing with newly purchased clothing and other accessories.

 _Nothing..._

He sank back into his chair. Relief washed over him... But the layer of dirt that was doubt still remained; stubbornly clinging to his flesh, refusing to let go and be washed away with the tide. He waved away those thoughts after realizing that he still hadn't answered his mate's question.

Not wanting to leave her hanging, especially with a sense of pessimism, He plastered on a facade smirk to obscure his worry. He looked his wife in the eye and soothingly said his next few words:

"Don't worry Fluff... nothing's wrong here. Everything is alri-"

A shrill scream pierced the air, interrupting his statement.

He momentarily saw Judy's ears shoot up in detection before he swiveled his own head in the direction of the vociferous noise. Right outside of the nearby Targoat, the same group of Lionesses that the Fox had spotted earlier were running around in circles and backing away from a focal point near the entrance, handbags and other accessories flying through the air in a small storm of makeup and clothing. Then the crowd briefly parted, allowing Nick to spot the source of the commotion: A juvenile male lion, maybe in his teens to mid-twenties, was locked in hand to hand combat with a pure black panther. Everything the panther wore was black, straight through his leather jacket and midnight slacks, right down to his glossy fur. His flat color scheme made it hard to tell his age, especially since he had his back to the cruiser. What they were fighting about, neither officer knew. But it didn't matter. They had work to do.

Nick quickly turned to his mate, and watched her as she unbuckled her seat-belt. "Looks like we got a Throw-Down on our hands!" He muttered to her as he stepped out of the car door. Judy sighed loudly before finalizing the Fox's words with a comment of her own. "Unfortunately." Both animals nodded to each other and began racing towards the action.

As he got closer, Nick managed to pick out more details about the scuffle. The Panther had a large orange purse slung over his shoulder, obviously not his... no doubt stolen from one of the female Lions who were still busy being unhelpful, waving their hands in the air and yelling. The male Lion was apparently trying to get the purse back, as he was grabbing for it himself, but wasn't having much success. Both Felines had their arms locked around each-others necks and shoulders, shuffling around in agitation. The Panther had his back to the officers that were running toward him, and was oblivious to their coming presence. The Lion however, saw Nick and Judy as they made their approach and suddenly released his own hold on the handbag.

 _Aahhhh...Smart..._ Nick thought to himself. The Fox realized that the Lion wasn't trying to hurt the Panther: He was just trying to recover the stolen item. The Panther had the exact same goal in mind no doubt, so when the Lion let go of the satchel, the Panther immediately turned tail and fled: Right into the waiting arms of the Police officers.

As the Panther turned around and slammed into Judy, Nick got a better look at him. Nothing much... black on black on even more black. The only bit of color was his eyes, which were blue. They starkly contrasted the rest of his body, and were unnerving to look at: A splash of indigo in a sea of darkness.

Nick registered all of that in a split second. His conscious made him reach for his radio, which he promptly pulled out and spoke into: "Dispatch, we encountered a Throw-down here in the central plaza, Officer Hopps and I are currently engaging, standby on that pending, over!" He hooked the radio back into his collar, not bothering to wait for a response. As he contacted other officers and the station, Judy was busy wrestling with the Panther on the ground. She was strong and tough for her size, but it was no contest: The Panther backhanded the smaller Bunny and sent her sprawling a few feet backwards, but Nick's mate was an agile creature. She regained her balance in mid-air, twisting herself appropriately before landing on her feet and left hand, sliding a few inches back before gaining traction against the concrete.

Nick reminded himself to complement his mate on being a complete bad-ass once they finished with this. He promptly pulled out his tranquilizer gun, which was hooked up to his utility belt. The Panther swiped at him, knocking the fire-arm out of his grip and sending it careening farther down the sidewalk path. Nick turned back toward his opponent and locked eyes with the Panther, who was growling menacingly. For the first time, Nick noticed that the feline had flying colors on the front of his leather jacket: Gang colors.

 _Great... some wannabe gang-banger with a pole up his ass..._ Nick contemplated in his head.

Right when the big cat was about to lunge at him, Judy grabbed his neck from behind and put him in a head-lock, or at least the best headlock she could manage. Remembering her lessons from Police Academy for when fighting a bigger opponent, she used her momentum and weight to corkscrew the Panther's neck, bringing his body with it, and slam him into the ground.

 _Nice, Fluff_ , He internally complemented his mate, who still held the writhing panther against the concrete surface, burying his face into the ground.

"Nick! Cuffs!" She shouted at the Fox, who without hesitation had pulled out his pair of size-adjustable hand-cuffs. Nick heard sirens close-by and in the distance.

 _Good... backup's here! This hairball has got it comin' to him!_ Nick thought with excitement.

He made his way over to the pair, but everything went wrong when the Panther somehow managed to reach back and grab Judy by the waist, ripping her off his back and then harshly throwing her into the ground at his feet with a cringe-inducing thud.

Nicks vision turned red as boiling rage overtook his sanity. He charged at the Panther, his sense of reason as shattered as Judy's broken form which lay unmoving a few meters away. As he ran at the beast that had hurt his mate, his assault was met with a foot to the stomach. He bent over the shape of the foot like a folding chair as it plowed into his gut at full force. He collapsed to his knees at the feet of the Panther, sputtering and coughing up small droplets of red liquid. Blood.

He raised his gaze and locked eyes with his mate, who had found the strength to lift her head just enough to see Nick. Her Purple eyes shown with fear and care, but also terror at the sight before her. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw a Police Cruiser pull into the nearby lot and park itself right next to their own car. Their good friend Officer McHorn kicked open the door, and ran towards the scene, tranquilizer in hand, with his partner at his side; A Timber wolf whose name escaped him.

Nick raised his of line of sight even higher, stopping at the Panther that loomed triumphantly above him. He saw the Panther lift us right arm and unsheathe his claws: 4 inch polished black talons that seemed to gleam with an aura of pain. The panther locked eyes with Nick, and smiled almost sympathetically down at him. His smile melted into an expression of hatred as he raised his claw above his head, and swept downward.

Time stopped.

Nick saw his beloved Judy, laying just a few feet away from him. She had managed to rise to her knees, and she had her left arm thrown out at Nick, hand extended as if to grasp on to some falling object. Her beautiful amethyst eyes were shedding tears, and her face was filled with horror.

Nick saw the two other officers farther back, their tranquilizers aimed and locked on to the Panther.

The Panther...

Nick saw him looming above him menacingly. His right arm raised high above his head, brought down in a swinging motion towards the Fox's face. Nick knew what he was going to do. He knew what was going to happen. The Panther was going to rob him of his most treasured and important sense.

Never again would he be able to gaze lovingly at his mate.

Never would he be able to see his friend's faces fill with laughter at one of his jokes.

Never would he be able to stare down the world he lived in.

His vision rested once more on the Panther. Nick knew this would be the last thing he ever saw:

His mate crying,

His comrades shooting,

And worst of all, the bastard that made him blind.

Time started once more, and the Panther brought down his swipe.

Nick felt the panthers claws sink into his face... searing pain erupted the instant the claws made contact with his corneas.

Then everything went black.


	2. Optical Obliteration

"If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a lifeto live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him." -Paul Coelho

...

It is said that tears shed for another person are not weak, but represent an insurmountable degree of care and compassion.

As Judy was slammed into the ground, a surge of pain traveled through her nervous system and detonated in her brain. She immediately knew something had to have been broken. The left side of her hip was stinging with a terrible sensation. Broken... perhaps. She did not know. And did not care.

For the amount of pain she felt herself was _nothing_ compared to what she experienced as she stared down the end of her existence.

There...

 _Nick_...

Her mate...

Her Everything...

Flailed in a broken and twisted heap upon the concrete sidewalk. His body twisted and contorted in agony as he screamed and clutched his paws to his face, covering his eyes. He writhed on the ground horizontal to the beast that robbed him of his vision, whom loomed triumphantly overhead, claws painted in crimson.

Judy's ears detected two suppressed pops behind her field of view, And in an instant, the Panther had collapsed to the ground adjacent to her partner, a pair of tranquilizers sprouting from the left side of his neck, just below the jawline: A perfect shot.

But it mattered not. It was too late, for the damage had been done.

The once bustling plaza was now depressingly abandoned, most of the citizens had fled the area once the fight had broken out. Only the Police and a few murmuring pedestrians occupied the clear. Judy stared in abject horror at the sight before her: Her beautiful mate lay twisting in a crumpled heap, harshly wrenching in spasms. Judy watched as he rolled over, and she gazed at his face. Nick's paws were shielding his eyes, preventing the Bunny from being able to see the damage, but from between the cracks in his fingers leaked scarlet liquid; streaming down his face and pooling in the ground by his head. The flowing rivers of blood mixed with tears as they trickled down his face.

But the worst part was the screaming.

Nick wailed in terrible pain as he buried his paws into his eye-sockets. His shrill shrieks were the only sound that filled the air. His tormented cries made Judy raise her hands to her ears in an attempt to block the horrible sounds of her tortured mate. She clamped her eyelids shut, shaking her head violently from side to side trying to drown out the noise and wipe away the vile thoughts from her mind.

 _No! This can't be real! This can't be happening!_

 _Nick..._

But it was all too real.

It was happening. Right now. Right here.

She opened her eyes, and saw Officer McHorn and his timber-wolf partner hovering above Nick, their mouths hanging open as they stared at his mutilated face, which Judy was all too glad she could not see behind the massive form of the Rhino officer.

Sparing no time to waste, the wolf reached to his collar and pulled down his radio, shouting an order into it. Judy barely heard it behind the screaming. The agonized shouting of the Fox was accompanied by another noise, However. Judy knew not what it was until she felt her throat suddenly wrench in discomfort.

She had been screaming as well.

Minutes which felt like centuries passed... And Judy heard an ambulance nearby, along with the sirens of other emergency vehicles. Police Cruisers.

Judy wiped her own eyes and sniffled. She looked up and saw a pair of antelopes running toward the commotion, together carrying a stretcher.

The Bunny rose to her feet and shambled over to the scene, not wanting to lay weeping on the ground like some useless damsel. She had to help, or at least see Nick one last time before he was taken to the hospital. She pushed her way in between the other two officers and set her gaze upon Nick. Judy held back a sob as she got a better look at the carnage. Nick still writhed on the ground with his hands clamped over his eyes, and his screaming had died down significantly: His vocal cords no doubt shredded from all the overusage. The medical operators placed Nick on their stretched and secured his flailing legs to the sides, bound tight with restricting straps to minimize movement. Then they did the same to arms, and when his palms were removed from his face, Judy broke down.

 _Oh Nick..._

His eyes were a ruined pit of dried and still-liquid blood, which pooled in the indention of his eye sockets. The Panther's claws had raked across his face; bloodied slices trailed from the left side of his muzzle to his right ear, crossing over his vulnerable eyes. The Fox's corneas were scarred and utterly brutalized, but it didn't stop there. The claws had cut deep into the optic cavity of his left eye, squishing the eyeball like a lemon between a vise as the claws ravaged the back of his skull. His left eye had completely liquefied itself; the remnants of which dripped in thick, milky globs down the side of his scarred snout.

Judy was beyond sickened at the abominable sight. She promptly turned tail and regurgitated her last meal. When she reopened her eyes and her vision had cleared, she was staring down at a pond of half-digested carrots, celery, and grass, which pooled at the tips of her toes, slightly wetting them.

She lifted her head wearily back to where she had last seen Nick, but he was gone. Taken. Stuffed into the back of the ambulance as it made its way back to the nearest infirmary. She caught a glance of the emergency vehicle that contained him as it turned around the corner, vanishing behind a 'Snarl-Bucks' Coffee business parlor. Judy felt a firm hand clasp her right shoulder in a tender, comforting grip. But she barely noticed it, not even bothering to look up at the hand's owner. She didn't care.

Because the only thing she _really_ cared about...

Was loaded in the back of an ambulance...

Screaming and in terrible pain...

The only thing she really cared about...

 _Nick..._

Was Blind.

...

 **Oh man, I really went out on this one didn't Eye! (Get it? I? Too soon?)**

 **Sorry if it's not as long as some of you may have wanted it to be, but I believe this chapter to be a workable and respective length.**

 **Besides, I wanted a break... I actually took the time to look up pictures and medical records of people who have suffered similar injuries to Nick, and I have to say: It wasn't pretty.**

 **But all the better for reference material! I wanted this chapter/scene to** ** _really_** **capture the pain behind the whole event. Alongside the pictures, I also had some personal-experience believe it or not! I have an Uncle who had his right eye destroyed by an arrow to the face, so I interviewed him on what the experience felt like. Some people describe losing an eye as incredibly painful, others claim it is painless as it is. To capture the angst, I went with the more painful version for this story.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed what I had to offer! More chapters are on the way for your viewing pleasure!**

 **And as always, feel free (please) leave a review! I LOVE reading what you guys think of my work!**

 **Anyways, farewell for now!**

 **Peace**


	3. The Unseen

The Abyss.

His vision saw everything and nothing at the same time.

In that terrifying moment, He recalled a statement he had heard from his partner-in-crime, Finnick, of which he had heard long ago.

 _If you stare into the abyss for long enough, the abyss will stare back._

He felt like that right now.

He wasn't sure _what_ he saw. It was difficult to describe what he "saw."

It _wasn't_ difficult to describe what he _felt._

 _Terrible, agonizing pain._

He remembered collapsing to the ground, and pain.

 _Terrible, agonizing pain._

He remembered screaming until his vocal-cords dried up and became raw.

 _Terrible, agonizing pain._

His vision was completely and utterly _blank._ Even if his eyes had survived, his lids would have no doubt swollen and blocked off his vision.

Those three malicious words became his world, the only thing he knew:

 _Terrible..._

 _Agonizing..._

 _Pain..._

...

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

It was evident that his sense of sound still worked, because for the past 2 hours, it's been the only thing he's had the displeasure of listening to.

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

Some machine gave off that annoying noise every couple of seconds, and It pierced his thoughts mercilessly...

 _Every..._

 _Single..._

 _Fucking..._

 _Time..._

Though... It wasn't the only sound that he heard. The soothing sound of his wife's breath as she slept was music to his ears.

He saw only blackness. But he knew that even if his eyes worked and functioned properly, and weren't torn to shreds as they were now, he still wouldn't be able to see. He felt a blindfold wrapped around his head, it's soft cloth covering his eyes, shielding them from the outside world.

The doctors had told him various things, but they were unsure weather or not he'd be able to see again.

His left eye was completely destroyed. Liquefied into a spoonful of disgusting slime. Gone.

They somehow managed to save his left eye however, repairing it with God-Knows-What medical technology. Not that he was complaining: The doctors told him that the eye might still be functional. There was only one way to find out, and that was supposed to be during the moment when his blindfold is removed.

Despite the hope it had given him...

He was scared.

He was scared that his right eye wouldn't work.

He was scared of being blind for the rest of his life.

He was scared of never being able to see his mate's stunning face...

 _Ever Again..._

Nick Wilde didn't want to be blind.

...

 _50 Minutes Earlier:_

Sound.

Sound reverberated through his very being as he lay in the cheap hospital bed.

The Fox slowly sat up groggily... he twisted his head as he scanned the room...

 _Nothing_...

In a moment of panic, his paws found themselves upon his face, feeling around different spots. Beneath his fingertips he felt his own fur caked in wet sweat, and a soft band of elastic and cloth wrapped around the circumference of his eye-level. It was completely opaque...

He saw nothing...

His face felt like it had been attacked by a weed-whacker. He leaned back into his bed and caressed the strips of fur that encircled his blindfold. He felt the cloth, but something else along with it. Something embedded in his skin...

Then it all came back to him in a flash of pain.

He mentally saw the Panther standing above him...

He felt torturous pain inflicted into his face with a swipe of the beast's claws...

 _Claws..._

He suddenly knew what the indention in his face was:

It was a claw mark.

A 'tri-sliced' line of rough, scabbed over flesh and matted fur.

Nick remembered the feeling of the Panther's talons as they ripped into his face...

He remembered the fleeting sound of his mate's cries behind him...

All this... He remembered...

But saw _nothing..._

 _Oh God... I'm blind..._ He realized. He knew.

He feared.

His ears twitched to the noise of someone pushing open a door to his right. He heard the clopping of hooves against the floor grow louder with each punctuated echo.

 _Clop_

 _Clop_

 _CLOP_

Then the source of the noise was right next to him. Nick heard the organism breathe in before speaking to him in a soothing voice.

"Mr. Wilde... can you hear me?" the voice asked softly. Female.

 _Well of course I fucking can you twit!_ He wanted to shout out, but he doubted that would help him very much, so he opted for the calm and collected approach instead.

He simply nodded his head and said "Yes. I can."

His sense of sound detected the animal scribble something down on a sheet of paper... it bounced around his eardrums with a solid undertone... she had a clipboard beneath her paper no doubt. The voice spoke again, crashing his train of thoughts.

"Do you remember what happened to you? Why you're in the hospital?"

Nick, despite all the panic and anger that had seized him previously, responded with a dry chuckle and sardonic words.

"Lemme guess... I partied a _little_ too hard last night?"

He asked the nurse with a smirk edged on his face. But in reality, he knew what had befallen him: Blindness. He only gave the nurse that sarcastic question in an attempt to hear her calm voice say it to him herself.

He wanted to physically hear his suffering put to words.

He wanted to be able to latch onto those words like a parasite, and drain them of everything they meant to him.

Because he was scared.

The majority of his mind kept denying what he went through: Rubbing it off as some irregular dream or twisted prank. The small part of his brain that was still sane needed those words to hammer the final nail in the coffin. To let the rest of his brain pull itself out of the warm, cozy blankets of denial...

And into the harsh, cold waters of reality.

The nurse, obviously not impressed with his joke, gave him the stinging facts. Each one rattled Nick's head like a punch to the face.

"You were assaulted and viciously wounded in the line of duty," the nurse paused before continuing. "You were subject to facial, optic, and Pre-Frontal Cortex damage at the hands of a panther's claws."

Nick sighed and lolled his head side to side.

 _So it's true,_ He told himself. _I really was injured._

The nurse continued rattling off various other injuries and side effects that came with them, but Nick hardly noticed, much less cared. He didn't want to listen to some monotone, faceless medical-worker list off all his ailments. He'd much rather be doing...well, _anything_ else.

After a few short minutes of pretending to listen to the nurse, occasionally nodding his head in fake interest with a nonchalant "Uh-huh", the nurse left the room with finality. Nick sighed in relief, but before he could get comfortable, he heard the door swing open once more, and close quickly before locking itself from the inside. Another set of foot-falls patter against the floor as they approached his bed. The steps were lighter and faster then the bumbling clops of the nurse. Whatever was in his room now wasn't a hoofed mammal.

The footsteps stopped at the left side of his bed.

Silence.

It was unnerving, and beginning to turn awkward. Nick was about to break the ice with some witty comment, but the other creature beat him to it:

"You dumb Fox, You."

He suddenly felt a pair of short, yet enticingly comforting arms throw themselves around his torso. This action felt momentarily startling, but Nick relaxed into the moment. He knew who stood before him now.

"Judy... are you alright?" The Fox asked as he sat up and folded his knees under his weight, making himself taller.

Judy was taken back by the question. "ARE YOU _SERIOUS?!"_

Her sudden change in tone made Nick recoil in surprise, his ears narrowing themselves closer to his head in anticipation. Judy saw this and immediately regretted her uncalled outburst.

"Oh crap...Nick... I'm sorry! It's j-just...just that you were in so much pain! You're the one who's hurt, not me!"

Nick relaxed himself when his mate's cooled words flowed over his eardrums like a stream of water over bedrock.

"Oh... Carrots, it's just that _I_ saw you get thrown into the ground! What happened with that?" He asked her.

Judy, knowing that Nick wouldn't forget about her problems until she told him, decided to fill him in on her own injuries.

"I was thrown in to the ground as you recall... I thought I had broken something at first, turns out it was just a minor fracture in a few ribs." She paused and took a sniffling breath through her nose before going on.

"But it's OK Nick! I'm fine, see?"

Her paws flew over her mouth as the words left it. She realized too late that in fact, he _couldn't_ see.

 _Anything..._

Judy herself looked into the place where his eyes should be, but only saw expressionless folds of cloth wrapped around those once beautiful green eyes of his. But the lack of eye-contact didn't restrict the Bunny from seeing Nick grimace at her preordained words. "Nick...I-I'm sorr-"

Nick cut her off with a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and intertwining his pawed around the small of her back, pulling her close. He couldn't see, but that didn't refrain him from trying to sense all he could about his mate.

He inhaled deeply and smelled the air that encircled her: An almost sour scent of air-freshener clouded her clothes, Most likely from the cutsie-little 'FurBreeze' canisters that were supplied to every hospital room. He couldn't place down the exact odor, but it didn't matter to him. It smelled nice.

But he smelled something else along-side the perfume-like substance that coated her clothes. This smell wafted from her fur: Natural. Not some manufactured stench of lemon. The scent from the canisters was tinged with the spiciness of her own natural pheromones. Nick swallowed, remembering that it was the first week of springtime.

He shook his head and pushed those thoughts from his mind. _Perhaps some other time._

For now, he continued breathing in her scent, savoring it's fragrance. But his other functional senses worked to paint a picture of his mate inside his mind.

His ears listened to her steady breathing rate as she slowly inhaled gradual lungfuls of air.

His hands rubbed her shoulders, sliding themselves down her sculpted frame in an attempt to recreate the sight of his mate's curved body.

Alongside this, he felt her heartbeat rise and dip randomly as he hugged her. Nick It beat healthily beneath her shirt as their chests compressed.

His eyes may have been ruined, but he didn't relent in finishing the mental puzzle of Judy Hopps. There was only one piece left to fill. One sense left to experience.

Nick positioned his hand under Judy's chin and lifted it to his eye level. He imagined her staring into those blank ribbons around his head.

"It's alright Judy... It's not your fault." He said to her with ease.

Judy's eyes streamed twin rivers of tears as his words met her ears, which she felt Nick run his left paw down in a tender gesture.

Judy wanted to push him away and yell at him... yell at _herself._... she wanted to blame herself for Nick's blindness.

 _If only I hadn't have been so slow! I could have prevented this!_ She thought to herself.

But before those thought could be expressed into actions, Nick's loose grip on her chin tugged upwards, pulling her along with it. Her lips collided with his, and she practically melted into a puddle right then and there along with all her negative thoughts.

Nick savored the exquisite flavor of Judy's lips upon his own. He knew not how long the kiss had drawn out, but frankly, he didn't care.

The taste...

Euphoria shivered its way down his spine as he gripped her more forcefully, the pressure between the two increased. A chorus of pleasurable hums and moans escaped Judy's mouth and directed themselves to Nick's ears, which he welcomed in with open arms.

Judy was enraptured in the heat of the moment, and she loved every second of it. As the blissful satisfaction of Nick's delectable lips hijacked her senses, she couldn't help but feel driven...driven to intimacy...with him... _Now._

Judy knew that these thoughts were enhanced because of the seasonal situation. She'd tried to quell her temptations, but every time she kissed Nick, she grew more susceptible to her desires.

 _The door is locked..._ She reminded herself. _No one could come in and disturb us..._

As if to contradict that point, a harsh knocking sound emanated from the wooden entryway. Someone was trying to get in.

Nick and Judy pulled apart abruptly at the introduction of the interloping sound. They stared into each-others eyes for a few moments before the knock interrupted their them once more. Judy sighed and walked over to the door, unlocking it before letting in the source of the knocking.

A tall Bison let himself into the room, slightly ducking as he squeezed between the door-frame. He was dressed in a common doctor's robe, long and white, billowing around the ankles. He carried a clipboard in his grip, and he pushed the door closed after he walked in. He loudly cleared his throat.

"Greetings Mr. Wilde" He turned to Judy "And to you too Mrs. Hopps." Both animals gazed at him as he shuffled through his papers and began reading aloud the contents.

"Nick, you've been subject to a harsh injury... it took our operators many hours to fix the damage done to your eyes, face, and Pre-Frontal Cortex. Regretfully, we couldn't manage to save your left eye: It was completely liquefied by the time you arrived in the emergency room. Your right eye however, is intact. In terrible condition, but intact. We're unsure weather or not you'll be able to see with it... but we'll all find out once the blindfolds are removed from your eyes tomorrow morning."

Nick took it all in with ease. He was joyous that there was a chance he'd be able to see again. He squeezed Judy's hand, which lay inter-wrapped with his own. She squeezed back affectionately.

For a few more minutes, they discussed more technicalities with the doctor, but after he left, they remained silent.

Nick couldn't see his mate's face, but he imagined her smiling from ear to ear at the hopeful news. After some more time had passed, she suggested he get some rest. He happily obliged to the option, considering his drowsiness. Judy followed his example and curled up beside him on the hospital bed. They didn't know weather or not that was allowed, but neither cared.

There was terrible tragedy and hurt for the couple that day.

But affection and hope followed the pain and cleansed their minds of the negative predicaments.

There was hope to be had. Nick's vision may be restored.

But there was only one way to find out...

Time. Waiting. Patience.

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

For once, the pestering, pointless noise didn't sound so annoying.

...

 **Hey Everyone!**

 **Hope you enjoyed today's chapter! :D**

 **As always, feel free (please) leave a review telling me your thoughts, suggestions, ideas etc.! I _adore_ reading what you guys think!**

 **That's all for now, stay tuned for the next chapter! :D**

 **Peace**


	4. Author's Note : Love Is Blind

Hello Everyone! :D

I just want to say that this entire thing wouldn't have been possible without the consent, approval, and help of Pace2n9tMaker! It is him that created the wonderful piece of art that I used as the screen-piece for this story! All the credit for the idea and drawing go to him and him alone!

But the story itself, is all by yours truly! Which reminds me, if you enjoy my work, I do have another story: 'When Instinct Falls' is a romantic story based on Nick/Judy's experiences as they overcome prejudice and discrimination from outside pressures upon their relationship. In that story, we also learn more about Nick's past life, _and_ we get some intimacy between the two characters!

I highly recommend checking out 'When Instinct Falls', as it's my most proud (and first) Fan-Fiction story I've ever created. It's longer then this one so far, of course. If you check it out, _please leave a review!_ I _LOVE_ reading what you all have to say about my work! :D

Lastly, If you have any suggestions/ideas/feedback you wish to share with me over _any_ topic, feel free to PM me your thoughts! Reviews are also highly appreciated, as I mentioned earlier!

Peace

P.S: This story is NOT finished yet, I just wanted to make an author's Note here :)


	5. Gorgon's Gaze

"It is beautiful to speak of beautiful things, but even more so to silently gaze at them as they are" - Dejan Stojanovic

...

The ferocity of ten thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, keeping him from sleep.

He gazed upward, but saw nothing. He only felt the friction of the pillow beneath his head as he shifted restlessly.

Despite the comfort of the situation; his mate, Judy, dozing peacefully at his side, and the fact that they managed to turn off that annoying monitor: He just couldn't fall asleep.

Too many thoughts ran rampant in his head.

 _What if I can't see?_

 _What if I lose my job because I can't see?_

 _What if I'm so hideous that Judy doesn't want to be with me anymore?_

They all spoke at once to Nick, refusing to let him escape his problems through sleep, no matter how desperately he wished so.

Unable to sleep,

Unable to see,

Unable to get these _fucking_ thoughts out of his head,

Nick Wilde was miserable.

So to take sleep's place, he instead occupied himself by replaying his favorite song in his head, over and over. It did little to drown out the woeful thoughts from his conscience, and it didn't help him sleep any, but he still took pleasure in the soothing melodies and notes that swished to and fro.

Nick had heard stories about other animals who had lost a sense, and suddenly found their remaining senses enhanced. As the Fox lay there in bed, he was keenly aware of every little detail that he could detect.

The feeling of Judy's chest mushing against his as she breathed in and out, claimed by peaceful sleep.

The sound of her breaths as she inhaled and exhaled steadily. Breathing.

The unnatural, yet surprisingly enticing scent of the Lemon 'FurBreeze' Canister, accompanied by the soft _psssh_ it emitted every couple minutes.

In a near-desperate attempt to grasp something he could listen to to pass the time, he stilled himself and focused on the noise the canister gave off, counting the seconds in between each release.

 _Psssshhh_

Again and again.

 _Psssshhh_

Then out of nowhere, another sound: one he had _hoped_ would stay away for the night.

 _Beep_

Nick groaned as soon as the sound made contact with his eardrums. Thankfully, he didn't wake the still-sleeping Bunny.

 _Beep_

Nick grit his teeth in irritation. To distract himself from the pestilent sound, he resorted to lightly caressing Judy's ears, and attempting to focus on the sound of her breathing.

 _This is gonna be a long night, isn't it carrots?_

He asked himself, but no reply came. He smiled to himself as he stroked her fur, but the moment was interrupted by his least favorite sound.

 _Beep_

 _Ugghh..._

 _..._

Morning came the same way it did every other day. The Sun rose from behind the mountains in the east of the city, shining light upon the land.

Nick's tight bandages prevented him from visually witnessing such an event, but he still felt the warmth of the Sun's rays beaming through the window. He lay there as still as could be, not wanting to wake Judy, who still lay asleep at his side. The rays leaking in from the window were warm, and as they shined upon his body, he grew uncomfortable, shifting his body as far away from the shine of the Sun as he could without disturbing Judy.

He manged to find a cozy spot, and relaxed at the cool feeling of the shade as it enveloped his form. He couldn't help but think of the Sun though... He wanted to be able to see it: He didn't care weather or not it strained his vision. He longed to be able to see.

His continued thoughts involving the Sun reminded him of some ancient Myth from long ago, where the original inhabitants of modern-day Sahara-Square had called home. Back when the world was more primitive, yet beyond it's savage ways from the old times, the ancestors of the desert's mammals had created a myth to explain why the Sun moved from east to west. He thought back to the details of the legend, remembering all he could.

Khepri, they called him: A giant Scarab that rolled the Sun across the sky each day, giving life and light to the land with it's warmth. Nick had no idea how those old mammals had imagined such a preposterous tale to explain the reason for the Sun's movement, but he wasn't one to judge. He recalled a visit to the museum ages ago, where he had read a theory on the idea. These historians had supposed that the ancient mammals of the desert compared the Sun with what they saw on the ground: Scarabs. Rolling spheres of dirt and dung. They must have looked to the sky and thought;

 _Huh... that painfully bright circle of fire in the sky must be a massive sphere of flaming feces. Why not?_

Nick smiled at the thought of the ridiculous nature of their ancestors. _How could they be so naive?_ He asked himself mentally.

His smile melted.

Because that's just nature. Naivety was still present in their society. Nick reminisced back to the whole fiasco with the Night Howlers, and how the whole of society had lost it's fucking marbles over the likes of a simple, blue flower. How they compared civilized, modern-day predators to that of their savage and blood-thirsty ancestors.

Suddenly, the idea of an all-powerful Scarab rolling his giant ball of poo-fire across the sky didn't seem so out there.

 _Carrots is right,_ He pondered in his head. _We do make mistakes, don't we?_

As he silently asked that last question, he ran his hands up and down Judy's back. He was beyond grateful for her company.

He smiled once more, content with keeping his thoughts on Judy. After some time, his eyelids began to feel heavy, and he surrendered himself to the pull of sleep.

At last.

...

"Alright Mr. Wilde, are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Doc..."

9:30. It had been some time since Nick had aroused himself from the folds of his bed. He was appreciative that he had finally managed to fall asleep, but was still disappointed from the lack of it. He was tired.

But the moment the doctor came knocking on his door, he was charged with renewed energy,

His blindfolds were about to be removed: And he severely hoped that he would be able to see. All the pain and suffering had led up to this moment, and he was as ready as he'd ever be.

"Alright, here' goes." The doctor murmured as he began unwrapping the strips of cloth from Nick's head. Judy sat by his side, her paws clasped around his in a reaffirming gesture.

As Nick felt layer after layer of cloth remove itself from his face, he became increasingly worried: He still wasn't seeing anything. His vision was as plumbless as it had been before.

Suddenly, the darkness encompassing his right eye suddenly became... not so dark. The blackness stripped itself away from his vision as fast as the cloths from his eyes.

But there was something different about what he saw, at least compared to the way his old eyes had functioned.

It was blurry. He tried focusing his eye again and again, but his vision was met with only muddy brown haze.

Finally, the last of the blindfolds fell from his face. He opened his one good eye slowly.

He heard his mate whisper from his side, "Nick... do you see anything?"

Nick squinted from the intensity of the lights around him: Days of being bound to that blindfold made the light hard on his sensitive eye.

He looked around the room.

He saw the doctor, whom indeed was a Bison as Judy had told him, standing tall beside his bed, the blindfold that had previously enveloped his face wrapped around his arms.

He turned his head to the left, and saw what he feared he would never see again.

There, his mate reclined on the bed beside him. Her face was beaming with joy, but tears started to well themselves in her own amethyst eyes as soon as Nick made direct eye-contact with her. She somehow managed to smile even wider.

"I see my beautiful mate... does that count?" He asked her with a cocky grin plastered on his face.

Judy threw her arms around Nick, gripping him in a hug. Nick heard her say behind his field of view, " _Thank you,_ " though he wasn't sure who she was thanking:

Perhaps the doctor,

Perhaps Nick,

Perhaps the all-powerful Scarab, Khepri, rolling the sun across the sky.

It didn't matter.

Nick could see. He wasn't blind.

He muttered his own mental prayer, to whom, he need not know or care. He was grateful to the whole world for being able to see.

The doctor cleared his throat after some time, and the couple pulled away as they directed their attention towards the Bison.

"You can see! Excellent! But, your good eye... Tell me, how clear is your vision?"

Nick's train of thought braked hard once the question reached him. For the first time, he tried to focus his vision.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

Nothing.

Nick could see, but at a price...

"It's all fuzzy... I can see... but it's slightly distorted..." He responded to the doctor, who nodded at the mention of his eyesight.

He sighed before beginning, "Yes, we feared something of this sort might happen. The procedure to repair your right eye was _very_ difficult. Perhaps over time, your eye will adjust to it's new state, and focus. I'm sorry we couldn't completely fix everything."

Nick just smiled and responded with the truth, "It's alright Doc... I'm just glad I can see at all. I'll take this over being blind any day!" Then he looked to Judy, still smiling herself, and spoke, "I think I have some catching up to do, though."

...

After several more hours of tests and paperwork, Nick was released from the hospital.

Life realigned itself to the way it was before the accident.

Though his vision was not as good as it had been, he took it with appreciation on his part.

He was thankful for pulling through.

He took his experience with a spoon of salt: He had learned much from the whole ordeal.

Lessons were learnt.

His vision may have been broken, but in the end...

His heart was stronger then it had ever been before.

...

 **Hey Everyone!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I'm trying to decide weather or not I want to add another chapter dealing with Nick's experience with his altered vision.**

 **If you guys have any suggestions/thoughts/ideas... Feel free to PM them to me or leave them in a review! I'm open to any and all suggestions!**

 **Time will tell when I add a new chapter or not. Stay tuned... I just might!**

 **But for now, I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **Reviews are most welcome! Please leave one explaining your thoughts, I read them all.**

 **Peace**


	6. Author's Note: Please Read

Greetings!

I'd like to thank you all for staying vigilant, patient and every other abbreviation under the sun for awesome! I have a few more words to say though!

I appreciate the continued support for my work, and LOVE reading what you all think! :D

I also just wanna let you know that the 7th chapter of 'Love Is Blind' is in development! It's still far from finished, as I'm plotting out the ENTIRETY of the rest of the story before I start writing! On the bright side, this means that once I release chapter 7, the others that follow will be better prepared and perhaps even posted quicker!

I got some AMAZING things cookin' up in development for this story! I can't wait to show you all!

Stay patient... It is virtue after all! ;)

'Till next time!

Peace

PS: If any of you are looking for something to read while you wait, or just searching for another interesting story; I'd like to point out that my other story, 'When Instinct Falls' is also available for your viewing pleasure! I've been busy updating it recently, so that's why I haven't been able to update 'Love Is Blind' until now. I'll try to balance them out more, but don't get surprised if I drift off and finish that story before resuming this one! :)

So please feel free to check out 'When Instinct Falls', and maybe even favorite/follow it! I'd be greatly appreciative!

 **UPDATE** : I'm sincerely sorry to those of you who have been so patiently waiting for a brand new chapter update for all this time, and I regret to inform you that it may not come for a little while longer. I've just been too wrapped up in other things, even though, honestly, my schedule has been pretty lenient!

Call it whatever you like, but the point is: I just haven't gotten around to planning or writing out any new content for this story in particular.

Why? Well, like I mentioned, I've been busy... AND forgetful... And just haven't gotten around to doin' it, that's all... I apologize for the inconvenience.


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